The Vagina Monologues, Part I

My plan to start and direct the first official production of "The Vagina Monologues" here in Bangkok is finally happening. In the past week, so much has happened that the production doesn't seem like a daydream, but a real future event. Chris, my co-producer, and I found a venue that we intend to book. We received the news that MTV's EXIT campaign here in Thailand, www.mtvexit.org, is going to be one of our official partners and will help us with large-scale fundraisers for the production. We scheduled and publicized auditions which will be held next week. And, we've found two additional partners, the Foundation for Women, www.womenthai.org, and Pavena Foundation, www.pavena.thai.com, who will be the recipient of our fundraising efforts.

This past Sturday, I attended the Foundation for Women's 24th Anniversary event. Chris and I attended the first seminar on what the Foundation has achieved over the past 24 years. A number of women in the Foundation spoke about their work and experience. The session was in Thai but we had a wonderful translator. We learned that the organization worked to provide legal support and representation to women who had been trafficked and forced to do sex work. The Foundation also helped protect these women in government shelters and also gave them counseling and money so that they could return to their home countries. Some of the women who spoke from the audience cried when they talked about how the organization had changed their life and helped them. These women are so brave and progressive for their time, since a strict social hierarchy routinely marginalized women, particularly poor and uneducated women here in Thailand. Additionally, the police do not take rape or violence seriously and leave it unreported.

As wonderful as the Foundation for Women is, the Pavena Foundation is truly extraordinary and my visit there really effected me. Pavena is an extraordinary woman who was a Member of Parliament here--she went to Thailand's top university and has two masters degrees--and became passionate about helping women and children who are victims of violence, rape, trafficking, abduction, etc. We went to her headquarters, in a small village off of a main highway in a countryside province about an hour and a half outside of Thailand. I'd heard from a friend who's grown up here in Thailand that she really helps women. She has a help hotline, a four-digit number that's known throughout Thailand, and cabs around the country know where she is. But I only realized how much she helps when she took us around her organization.

In a small one room building, Pavena takes hundreds of cases a month and is a safe haven for women and children, in a country where there aren't many. She showed me the thick binders containing just how many cases she gets each month. In the building, she shows me photos of women she's helped--how badly they've been beaten, abused, and some hospitalized. She works with the police, since she has a lot of credibility, to remove women from these toxic and harmful environments, and then to catch and punish the responsible men.

I saw her two safe houses--each a small house, with 5 beds and a small bathroom. I met the young girls living in these houses. One girl, at only 15, was raped by 7 of her classmates, who videotaped the incident and put it on the internet. She now lives in the safe house, goes to school down the road, and has a good life until she is ready to leave, to go to school or get married. Another girl, just 10 years old, was raped by her teacher in the North of Thailand. She too, lives in the safe house. Another girl, 17 and pregnant from her rape, was in the hospital giving birth; she also live in the house. I met a women and her one-year old son, her husband beat her and she showed me her bruises, it was very difficult to look.

I felt a bit strange there, being introduced to all these women and girls, who were so polite and respectful, one even thanked me even though I'd done nothing for her. I told her I was so happy that she'd come to a place where she could get help, and though I'm pretty sure she didn't understand my words, she understood the sentiment.

I talked to Pavena about what the funds could be used for--I'd asked if she wanted to build another safe house; she told me of course she would like another safe house, and an activities center--she has too many cases, but not enough space for all of the women and children. So, we tentatively decided to aim to raise enough money for Pavena to build a new safe house and activities center.

So the journey begins. Auditions, fundraising, and a whole lot more ahead, so stay tuned.

I encourage all those interested to visit their websites to learn more about these organizations. If you would like to contribute to our V-Day campaign to raise money for Pavena's new safe house and activities center, please email me at vdaybkk@gmail.com.